May 08, 2014

Project Life, Weeks Sixteen + Seventeen

I'm in a serious single page Project Life zone right now. There are two reasons: 1) It's easier, and 2) It's less hard.

I know.

Part of me thinks, "Showing my Project Life pages is a little boring." Why? Because they are so stripped down of late. But I hope that they convey the true simple beauty of this approach to memory keeping. Photos and words. A summary. A recap. An overview.

I don't have to break any new crafting ground to save my stories. That appeals to me. Greatly.

May I present Week 16:

And Week 17:

I'm just so happy to be able to do this project and to keep up with it. Truly.

Do you know how much I wish I had documented everyday life with simplicity and regularity, say, 10 years ago or more?

I have a screen saver on my home computer (prob should have it at work too!) that says `done is better than perfect'. It reminds me that completing PL weeks is more important than making mine as pretty or classy as anyone else's. I keep thinking if I had found something like this from my Grandmothers would I care how perfect it was or would I just love that I found details of their lives? Of course we know the answer. Pictures, words, done. I need to be careful I have time to LIVE this life as well!

I decided at the beginning of the year to just go with a single page per week. As you say it was easier and less hard :). If you don't have too many pictures it is easier to fill up the spaces and if you have too many pictures it makes you choose the ones that really matter. I am using your minimal templates and minimal week outline circles and I am loving the look.

Ah I love it! I went even more simple with my approach this year. I am doing the double page lay out for each month. I usually add in an 8 1/2 x 11 insert that give more details to remember special events or holidays but it is very simplified.
Not sure I totally love the month idea but it is still PL and getting many memories down. I may try something even more different next year like a smaller album with one page per week. I love the freedom to be creative and do whatever suits me.
Thank you for always being inspiring!!

Your family selfie is great!!!! As for my PL, I decided right from the beginning that I wouldn't be able to do it on a weekly basis, I would never have finished it in the first place. So, it's been more of a monthly project and if I've got more pictures, it's ok and if I don't have many pictures, it's ok as well. I'm in my third album and the first one had more "embellishments" and now it's getting very simple : pictures and a few words. And I must admit that what I also liked about this is not having to make a full layout : I've never been able to anyway....

I have to say... this is my fourth year doing Project Life, but my first year doing (mostly) single-page layouts per week. And for the first time ever, I've actually been able to keep up with it! I've got one 2-page spread so far a photo-heavy week, but have found myself loving working on my book more than ever when I know it's not an uphill battle to stay on top of it. Not to mention, for this cash-strapped girl, I'm using half as much printer ink and paper, half as many project life supplies, and (fingers crossed!) may actually fit an entire year into one album for 2014 :)

Love your single page layouts...more meaningful than many of the two-pagers I have done with irrelevant photos and cards thrown in just to fill up all the spaces. BTW, what font did you use for the check marks on Cole's 'awesome' card? A dingbat? And how about that Cole?!! What a natural athlete...loved your action shots of his game.

Who is that young man and what has he done with your little boy? And if you figure out where the little boys have gone, let me know please because I had one around here somewhere... Yup, high school next year. Sigh.